Commonly used where? We have a variety of readers, from a variety of countries. Influenza A subtype H5N1 is a little formal, but it gives people who are even broadly aware of the subject a general idea of what it is (an Influenza variant that effects birds and humans). Avian or bird flu is pretty sloppy, but is at least a useful common vernacular term. HN51 assumes rather a lot about your readers.
The vaccine is indeed useful for fighting the spread, somewhat. Still less useful than the mass slaughter credited with eradicating it in several places, and vaccinating american birds would be worthless. As I noted, vaccines are a short-term solution with Influenza - they're worthless in a matter of months. Also what the Chinese government says about what may or may not be happening in a situation that might have the potential to look bad for China is worse than useless. Of course the vaccines are helping, because the Chinese government wouldn't create 20 billion doses of an ineffectual vaccine, and if you think they wouldn't happily state an ineffectual vaccine program was doing pretty well, well, you missed China. I'll simply note vaccines have never been that useful against influenza in the past - even yearly flu shots are at best a mediocre form of protection. They're certainly no form of long-term containment. Then again I remained reasonably unconcerned about yet another variety of influenza.
Speculating what people might do in a hypothetical situation based on what other people tangentially related to them have done in not-really-similar situations and then dragging bird flu into it kind of strikes me as fear mongering of the worst sort. I think it's far more useful to criticize people for what they do, rather than what they might do based on ideals they've never espoused in situations they've never been in.
My bad, but..... Jeez, I live in Hong Kong. It's Bird Flu Central over here. I used a term that is very commonly recognized in these parts. We have just about daily news articles and tv spots on the subject and they frequently use just H5N1 in the headline or tag. In fact, we have daily health spots in three languages on all channels over here, the way you have jaywalking, drunk driving, and other public service notices.
Further, I really did address the question to Rolfe (the giveaway being the opening "Rolfe comma" sort of like, well, a message addressed to Rolfe), a person I know to be a veterinarian, and who I just assumed would recognize the "nick".
As to the efficacy of vaccinating "bird flu":
1. How long has H5N1 been around? Has it actually mutated? I don't believe so. Much talk about it doing so and much concern, but it's pretty much the same Influenza A subtype H5N1, I believe. (This is not a facetious question. I do not know the answer, but I legitimately haven't heard that the actual virus has mutated.)
2. That wasn't a Chinese government link I provided. It was the UN FAO site. I don't know why they'd be glossing over results for Big China Pharma.
3. As to general flu shots/vaccinations for humans(I say "general" because the H5N1 vaccine is currently being tested and is not yet available), while I can say that I know half a dozen medical professionals who say they have no effect, I know six* others who say that properly applied, they are very effective.
*Okay that's disingenuos. Actually that's five plus the CDC, who state that vaccines matched properly to the strain of flu being combatted can show a 70 to 90 per cent efficacy.
Overall, in years when the vaccine and circulating viruses are well-matched, influenza vaccines can be expected to reduce laboratory-confirmed influenza by approximately 70% to 90% in healthy adults <65 years of age. Several studies have also found reductions in febrile illness, influenza-related work absenteeism, antibiotic use, and doctor visits.
http://www.cdc.gov/FLU/PROFESSIONALS/VACCINATION/effectivenessqa.htm
4. And since the vaccine being used to treat the poultry is VERY specific to that strain, it's quite reasonable that the claims of the Chinese and the FAO report are accurate as far as they go.
Fear mongering? I asked a question! Over here, Bird Flu is under the category of Current Events. And I would genuinely worry if homeopathic veterinary medicine started to take hold in the organic/free range field, because vaccination is the most efficient way to fight many diseases. Bird Flu is simply the one I'm most familiar with.
We live with the threat of bird flu/avian influenza over here. Just as we went through SARS. It's sort of an every day topic, as I said; not the bogie man. (Besides, vaccinating all them chickens once each is a lot easier than rounding them up and doing accupuncture, which we'd certainly prefer.
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